Dental Fillings

Restoring Your Damaged Teeth

Despite your best effort to take care of your teeth, tooth damage can still occur. When this happens, there are some dental solutions that can be used to restore the tooth to its original status. At Dublin Family Dental, we offer several dental restorative services, including dental fillings, which help to repair and save a damaged tooth.

What Are Dental Fillings?

Dental fillings refer to a dental procedure where restorative materials are used to repair a damaged tooth. The procedure is mostly used for restoring decayed teeth, or teeth that have been damaged by an accident or any other cause. The restorative material (known as the filling) is used to replace the damaged part of a tooth - hence the name.

What Does Dental Fillings Involve?

A dental filling procedure is fairly simple. After proper diagnosis and determination of the filling procedure as an appropriate treatment plan, the procedure starts with the preparation of the tooth. During the preparation stage, the damaged part of the affected tooth is removed, and the area is properly cleaned. The filling material is then applied in layers, with a laser or UV light being used to harden (cure) each layer.

After all the filling material has been applied and hardened, it is shaped, with the excess material being trimmed off, to produce the desired result. The material is then polished to give it a great look.

Dental Fillings Options

When it comes to dental fillings, there are several types of fillings you can choose from - based on the material. Below is a look at these options:

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Tooth colored-fillings - these fillings feature tooth-colored materials, and thus help to restore the appearance (in addition to the structure) of the damaged tooth. Due to this, they are mostly a cosmetic option. Examples include composite resin fillings, ceramic fillings, and porcelain fillings.

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Non-tooth colored fillings - these are other fillings where the material is not the natural color of the teeth. They are mostly metal fillings, which are used due to their strength and durability. Examples include gold and silver (amalgam).

Taking Care of Your Fillings

After a dental filling procedure, your tooth will be restored to its original structure (and appearance if you opt for a tooth-colored filling). However, this does not make your teeth permanently invulnerable from any additional dental problems. If the fillings are not properly taken care of, they can be damaged by a tooth infection, or even break and fall off. Therefore, after a filling procedure, you should observe oral care practices to protect the fillings and increase their longevity.Below is a look at some of the oral care practices that can help to maintain the results of your filling procedure:

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Brushing and flossing your mouth regularly to get rid of oral bacteria. You should also use an antibacterial mouthwash regularly.

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Avoiding poor habits such as biting or chewing on hard foods, or grinding and clenching your teeth - especially immediately following the procedure.

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Scheduling regular dental visits - during these visits, the fillings will be checked on, and any damage or potential for damage will be identified early and remedied.

Do you have a decaying or damaged tooth? Do not worry! Dublin Family Dental can offer you the best dental solutions to restore and save your tooth. Call us today at (925) 587-4417 to schedule an appointment.